Lb 311^ 



l<10^ 



9 ^\y\ THE BUILDING CODE 

OF THE 

9 Department of Inspection of 
Workshops, Factories and 
Public Buildings 

OF THE 

STATE OF OHIO 

RELATING TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF 

SCHOOL BUILDINGS 



jlRGAKr, Chief Ifspector 

TK J, Chief Inspector 

HENRY N. REDDING, Asst. Chief Insp. 



COLUMBUS, OHIO : 
PRESS OF F. J. HEEK 

180-3 



1.^2^^ 






o 



NOTICE. 

Architects, owners and building committees 
are requested to submit to this department 
the complete working drawings and specifica- 
tions for contemplated buildings before be- 
ginning the erection of the same. 

The drawings and specifications must give 
the name of the owner, kind of building, city 
in which same is to be erected, and the name 
and address of the architect. 

Each room must be marked, showing the 
purpose for which the same is to be used. 

Before final approval can be given, two- 
complete sets of plans and specifications must 
be submitted to this department, one for the 
office files and the other for formal approval 
and to be returned to the owners of the build- 
ing. 

Plans will be examined m the order in' 
which they are received, and the department 
reserves the right to withhold inspection for 
ten days after receipt of plans and specifica- 
tions. 



PREFACE, 

This code has been prepared as a guide to 
assist architects and others in the preparation 
of plans and specifications for school build- 
ings and kindred structures, and to infofm 
them in a general way as to the requirements 
of this department. 

This department in presenting this code 
does not waive the right to alter, revise or 
add to the same at any time as the condi- 
tions or experience may dictate. 

Any plan or specification approved by this 
department through oversight, concealment or 
omission shall not waive the right of this de- 
partment to order changes in the finished 
structure. 



SCHOOL BUILDINGS. 

Under this heading will be included all 
-school buildings, colleges, academies, semin- 
aries and all buildings or structures contain- 
ing one or more rooms for the assembling of 
persons for the purpose of acquiring knowl- 
edge, or for mental training. 



CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO 
CONSTRUCTION. 

First Class Construction. Fireproof Build- 
ings. 

This classification includes such buildings 
as are built entirely of incombustible, fire 
and water proof material, with all metal 
structural parts thoroughly fireproofed, ex- 
cept that the floors, doors, windows and the 
usual trim of rooms are of ordinary construc- 
tion. 

Second Class Construction. Composite Build- 
ings. 

This classification includes such buildings 
as have the inclosing walls and roof covering 
of incombustible materials with doors, win- 
dows and frames of wood, and the interior 
walls of brick ; or, columns and girders made 
of fireproofed iron and steel ; the floor con- 
struction of wooden beams. 

In buildings of this class a single thickness 
of metal lath or furring and hard incombust- 
ible plaster will be deemed sufficient protec- 
tion for iron and steel columns and girders. 

Tliird Class Construction. Frame Buildings. 
This classification includes such buildings 

y 



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as have the inclosing and interior partition 
walls constructed entirely of wood. Wood 
frames covered with a veneer will be included 
in this class. 

CLASSIFICATION REQUIRED ACCORD- 
ING TO HEIGHT. 

Where the basement ceiling is 6' 0" (six 
feet no inches) or more above the grade line^ 
the basement will be rated as the first story. 

All buildings over two stories high shall be 
of No. 1 (fireproof) construction. 

All buildings two stories or less in height 
(except buildings of the third class) shall be 
of No. 2 (composite) construction. 

All buildings one story high, without base- 
ment and with the floor line not over 3' 0" , 
(three feet no inches) above the grade line, 
can be of No. 3 (frame) construction. 

AUDITORIUMS. 

Any room where more tnan one hundred 
(100) persons can congregate will be con- 
sidered an assembly room. 

No assembly room can be located above 
the second story in buildings of the first class, 
above the first story in buildings of the sec- 
ond class; or in any building of the third 
class. 



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One balcony may be used in connection with 
auditoriums, providing the same has means of 
egress in the same proportion as called for, 
for school rooms. 

DIMENSIONS OF SCHOOL AND 
CLASS ROOMS. 

Floor Space. 

The minimum floor space per pupil to be 
as follows : 

Primary Grades 12 (twelve) square feet 
per pupil. 

Grammar Grades 16 (sixteen) square feet 
per pupil. 

High Schools 18 (eighteen) square feet per 
pupil. 

Height of Stories. 

Basement play and toilet rooms to be not 
less than eight feet high. 

Class rooms 20' 0'' (twenty feet no inches) 
wide and less, 11' 0" (eleven feet no inches) 
stor)^ 

Class rooms from 20' I" (twenty feet, one 
inch) to 24' 0" (twenty- four feet no inches) 
wide, 12' 0" (twelve feet no inches) story. 

Class rooms 24' 1" (twenty-four feet, one 
inch) to 28' 0'' (twenty-eight feet no inches) 
wide, 13' 0" (thirteen feet no inches) story. 



12 

HEATER ROOM. 

For Buildings of First and Second Class 
Construction. 

Furnaces, hot water heating boilers and 
low pressure steam boilers may be located in 
the basements, providing the heating appa- 
ratus, breeching, fuel room and firing room 
are inclosed in fireproof apartments, with 
masonry walls not less than 1' 1" (one foot 
one inch) thick ; with ceiling of reinforced 
concrete, brick or hollow tile arches, and pro- 
vided with self-closing (not automatic) fire 
doors of a type as approved by the National 
Board of Fire Underwriters. 

No boiler or furnace shall be located under 
stairways or corridors. 

EXITS. 

Buildings of First Class Construction. 

Exits from rooms in the superstructure 
shall be in the proportion of 30" (thirty 
inches) in width to every fifty persons or 
fraction thereof; but in no case shall an exit 
be less than 3' 0" (three feet no inches) nor 
m.ore than 6' 0'' (six feet no inches) wide. 
No fire escapes or stair towers will be 
. necessary in buildings of first class construc- 
tion and all exits shall lead to the corridors. 



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Each basement room shall have a direct 
exit not less than 3' 0" (three feet no inches) 
wide with stone, cement or iron stairs lead- 
ing up to the grade line ; area-ways around 
stairways shall have substantial hand rails 
and guards on both sides. These exits to be 
in addition to the usual service stairways and 
means of ingress. 

Buildings of Second Class Construction. 

Each room in superstructure used by pupils, 
or the public, shall have at least two separate 
and distinct means of egress. 

Two doors or openings leading into the 
same hall or corridor will be considered as 
only one means of egress. 

Communicating doors between any two 
class rooms will not be considered as a means 
of egress. 

The proportion of exits to the seating 
capacity shall not be less than 30" (thirty 
inches) to each fifty persons or fraction 
thereof. One-half of the exits shall lead to 
the main corridors, and the other half to 
fire escapes or inclosed fireproof stairways. 
No exit shall be less than 3' 0" (three feet 
no inches) or more than 6' 0" (six feet no 
inches) wide. Each room in the basement 
shall have a direct exit not less than 3' 0" 
(three feet no inches) wide, with stone. 



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cement or iron stairs leading up to the grade 
line. 

Area-ways around such stairways to have 
substantial hand and guard rails on both 
sides. 

These exits to be in addition to the usual 
service stairways and means of ingress. 

Buildings of Third Class Construction. 

Each room shall have at least two, three- 
foot exits ; one leading to the open with steps 
to the grade, and the other the usual means 
of ingress ; all steps to have handrails on 
both sides. 

STAIRWAYS. 

Buildings of First Class Construction. 

Buildings of first class construction shall 
have at least two stairways located as far 
apart as possible ; the same to be continuous 
from the grade line to the topmost story. 
No further means of egress will be necessar}^ 

Stairways must be separated from main cor- 
ridors by self closing doors at each story. 

Buildings of First and Second Class Con- 
struction. 

No basement stairway shall be placed under 
nor within twenty feet of any stairway from 



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the first to the second story, except under 
the following conditions, viz ; basement stairs 
may be placed under a first story stairway 
•only when a grade line platform open to the 
air is inserted and no direct connection is 
made between the stairway below the plat- 
form and the one above the same. 

Inside stairways from the basement to the 
"first story shall be inclosed in masonry walls 
not less than 1' 1" (one foot one inch) thick, 
with fireproof ceiling or soffit above and be 
provided with a self closing fire door, as ap- 
proved by the National Board of Fire Under- 
writers, which shall be placed at the head and 
foot of the stairway ; the steps shall be of 
iron or concrete. 

Width of stairway shall be at the rate of 
30'' (thirty inches) per hundred persons or 
fraction thereof. 

No stairway shall be less than 3' 6" (three 
feet six inches) nor more than 6' 0" (six 
feet no inches) wide; or have less than three 
nor more than sixteen risers in any run. 

No stairway shall have winders and all 
nosings shall be on a straight line. 

Maintain a uniform width in all stairways 
and stair platforms by rounding the corners 
and beveling the angles. 

Provide hand rails on both sides of all 
stairways and steps. 



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Stairways shall have a uniform rise and 
tread in each run, viz ; 

Primary schools to have not over 6'' (six 
inch) rise or less than IT' (eleven inch) 
tread. 

Grammar schools to have not over 6^'' 
(six and one-half inch) rise or less than 11" 
(eleven inch) tread. 

High schools to have not over 7" (seven 
inch) rise or less than 10|-" (ten and one- 
half inch) tread. 

The above dimensions to be the cut on the 
stair horse. 

All treads shall be covered with rubber 
or lead mats.. 

FIRE ESCAPES. 

To be Used on Buildings of Second Class 
Construction. 

One fire escape shall be used for each one 
hundred and fifty persons or fraction thereof. 

Fire escapes shall be 3' 6" (three feet six 
inches) wide, with 1" (seven inch) rise, 10" 
(ten inch) tread and shall be constructed 
according to the Standard Specifications as 
prepared by this department. 

No run shall have more than 18 (eighteen) 
nor less than 3 (three) risers. 

No winders shall be used, and return plat- 



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forms, if used, shall be 3' 6" x 7' 0" (three 
feet six inches by seven feet no inches). 

Platforms inserted in straight runs of fire 
escapes shall be no less than 3' 6" x 3' 6"^ 
(three feet six inches by three feet six 
inches). 

Where there are no openings in the walls, 
the fire escapes may be placed against the 
wall, and be supported upon standard brackets 
and will be built according to the B Standard 
Specifications as prepared by this department. 

Where openings occur, the fire escape may 
be run either at right angles to the wall; or, 
parallel to the wall provided it is placed 2' 
6" (two feet six inches) away from same, 
and will be constructed ?ccording to the B 
Standard Specifications except that columns 
will be used instead of brackets and the con- 
struction wiTl be known as the "C" Standard. 

Fire escapes shall be supported every eight 
feet, either by standard brackets or steel 
columns as the case may require. 

Where fire escapes run at right angles to 
the building, they will be supported on gas- 
pipe or angle iron columns with a 3'' x 3'' x 
^" (three by three by three-eighths inches) 
angle riveted to the top of the two columns,, 
with columns thoroughly sway braced. 

When fire escapes parallel the wall, they 
must be supported by gas pipe or angle iron 



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columns, with 3" x 3" x ^" (three by three 
by three-eighths inches) L angle riveted to 
the top of tlie two columns and bolted to and 
through the wall. 

Balconies level with the floor line shall be 
placed at the top of all fire escapes. 

Where fire escapes run at right angles to 
the building, or are placed against the wall 
of the building, the top balcony must be at 
least 3' 6" x 3' 6" (three feet six inches by 
three feet six inches). 

Where fire escapes parallel the building and 
are placed 2' 6" (two feet six inches) away 
from the wall, the top balcony must be at 
least 3' 6" x 6' 0'' (three feet six inches by 
six feet no inches). 

Where balconies are used in connection 
xvhh C fire escapes, channel irons will be 
used instead of lattice work to support the 
balcony and the construction for the same 
r.mst be figured to safely support a total live 
and dead load of 125 (one hundred and 
twtnty-five) pounds per square foot. 

The following dimensions given for gas 
pipe columns, refer to the internal diameter 
of the same. 



Gas Pipe Columns. 

21'" column, 15 ft. and under. 
3'' column, 15 to 17 ft. 



19 

5r column, 17 to 19 ft. 
4' column, 19 to 21 ft. 
5" column, 21 to 25 ft. 
6'" column, 25 to 30 ft. 

L. Angle Columns. 

21 X 2^ X Yb," Us, 15 ft. and less. 

2J X 3 X oi" L's, 15 to 20 ft. 

21 X 31 X ^" L's, 20 to 25 ft. 

Two 21 X 21 X Y^" riveted, 25 to 30 ft. 



INCLOSED FIRE PROOF STAIRWAYS. 

To be Used in Buildings of Second Class 
Construction. 

Emergency stairways shall be enclosed by 
masonry wall not less than 1' 1" (one foot 
one inch) thick, with brick, hollow tile or re- 
inforced concrete floors, platforms and ceil- 
ing, and with iron, stone or concrete steps; 
and provided with a sufficient number of win- 
dows to properly light the same. 

No open risers can be used. 

There shall be no basement openings into 
space under inclosed fireproof stairways. 

The same enclosure can be used for more 
than one stairway providing there is no direct 
connection between any two stairways or 
:stories. 



20 



Width of stairs shall be at the rate of 30'' 
(thirty inches) per hundred persons or frac- 
tion thereof. No stairway shall be less than 
3' 6" (three feet six inches) nor more than 
5' 0" (five feet no inches), or have less than 
three or more than eighteen risers in any one 
run. 

No winders shall be used and all nosings 
shall be on straight lines. 

Maintain a uniform width in all stairways 
and stair platforms by rounding the corners 
and bevefing the angles. 

Provide gas pipe hand rails on both sides 
of stairways. 

Stairways shall have a uniform rise and 
tread in each run, viz : 

Primary schools to have not over 6" (six 
inch) rise or less than 11" (eleven inch) 
tread. 

Grammar schools to have not over 6^" (six 
and" one-half inch) rise or less than 11"" 
(eleven inch) tread. 

High schools to, have not over 7'' (seven 
inch) rise or less than 10|-"^ (ten and one-half 
inch) tread. 

The above width of tread to be measured 
from nosing to nosing. 

Treads shall have roughened surface. 



21 

EXIT DOORS. 

For Buildings of First, Second and Third 
Class Construction. 

Exit doors shall not be less than 3' 0" 
(three feet no inches) wide, swing outward 
(viz., towards the open), and be so hung as 
not to interfere with passageways or close 
other openings. 

No double acting doors will be permitted. 

SEATS,. DESKS AND AISLES. 

All class, recitation, study, high school or 
assembly rooms seating more than fifteen per- 
sons shall be equipped with seats, chairs or 
desks securely fastened to the floor by screws. 

The chairs and desks of teachers may be 
portable. 

Auditorium, Seats and Aisles. 

The least average width of chairs, measur- 
ing from center to center of arm, shall not 
be less than 20" (twenty inches) ; and the 
least spacing of seats from back to back, 
measuring horizontally, shall not be less than 
30" (thirty inches). 

No seat shall have more than six seats be- 
tween it and the aisle on either side. 

Aisles with seats on both sides of same 



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shall not be less than 3' 0" (three feet no- 
inches) wide where they begin, and shall be 
increased in width towards the exits in the 
ratio of V^ (one-half inch) to the foot. 

Aisles ^having seats on one side only shall 
not be less than 2' 0" (two feet no inches) 
wide at their beginning, and increase in width 
the same as aisles having seats on both sides. 

Class Room Seats and Aisles. 

Class rooms shall have aisles on all wall 
sides. 

In primary rooms center aisles shall not be 
les than 17" (seventeen inches), and wall 
aisles not less than 2' 4'' (two feet four 
inches) wide. 

In grammar rooms center aisles shall not 
be less than 18'^ (eighteen inches), and wall 
aisles not less than 2' 6" (two feet six inches) 
wide. 

In high school rooms center aisles shall 
not be less than 20'' (twenty inches), and 
wall aisles not less than 3' Or (three feet no 
inches) wide. 

PASSAGEWAYS. 

No halls or passageways leading to stair- 
ways shall be less in width than the width of 
the stair-\yay. 

Halls and passageways shall be so designed 



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and proportioned as to prevent congestion or 
confusion. 

HEATING. 

The heating system shall be so designed 
and proportioned as to uniformly heat all 
parts of the building to a uniform temper- 
ature of 65° (sixty- five degrees) in zero 
weather, and must be either a dii ' Gcl! indii ' dot, 
indirect or a furnace system. 

Vertical warm air flues shall be inclosed in 
brick walls not less than 9" (nine inch) 
thick. Division or partition walls shall be no 
less than 4" (four inches) thick. 

No steam boiler carrying over 20 (twenty) 
pounds pressure shall be located within the 
main walls of any school building. 

Stoves may be used only in buildings of 
the third class construction, providing they 
are set on cast iron trays at least 2' 0" (two 
feet no inches) in diameter larger than the 
greatest diameter of the stove, and raised at 
least 3'^ (three inches) above the floor line; 
they shall be connected to brick flues by metal 
stove pipe not over 5' 0" (five feet no inches) 
long. 

All flues shall rest on and start from the 
ground and shall be built with no less- than' 
9" (nine inch) walls. 



24 



No ashes are to be stored in buildings of 
the third class construction, and not more 
than one day's accumulation of ashes shall 
be stored in the basements of buildings of 
the first and second class construction. 

All warm air pipes are to be wrapped in 
asbestos paper and steam and hot water pipes 
must be wrapped in sectional asbestos pipe 
coverings. 

VENTILATION. 

Each pupil shall be supplied with no less 
than 250 (two hundred and fifty) cubic feet 
of air space. 

Vent flues for class, recitation and high 
school rooms shall be of such a size as to pro- 
vide not less than ten square inches of flue 
space per pupil. Registers shall be 50% (fifty 
per cent) larger than the area of the flue. 

Vents for toilet rooms shall provide one 
square inch of flue space to thirteen cubic 
feet of contents. 

Vertical ventilating flues shall be built of 
brick with an outer wall not less than 8" 
(eight inch) thick. 

Division walls shall be no less than 4" 
{four inch) thick. 

Vent flues shall extend through and above 
the roof. 



Ventilation carried through floor construc- 
tion, furring or stud partitions will not be 
permitted. 

OPTICS. 

The proportion of glass surface in each 
class, study, recitation or high school room 
shall be not less than one square foot of 
glass to every five square feet of floor sur- 
face. 

Windows must be placed either at the left,, 
or the left and rear of the room, but in no 
case on the two opposite sides of any room. 

Tops of windows shall not be placed more 
than 8" (eight inches) below the ceiling line. 

VAULTS. 

Vaults for outside water closets to be not 
over six feet deep, and must be constructed 
of brick or concrete walls not less than 9'^ 
(nine inches) thick. No part of the vault to 
extend under the floor of the closet. 

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS. 

Provide standpipe and hose in basement 
with sufficient length of 1^" (one and one- 
half inch) hose to reach any part of the story. 
Hose lines shall be provided with nozzles and 



26 



liose racks, and hose shall be connected ready 
for use. 

Provide three-gallon chemical fire extin- 
guishers of a type approved by the National 
Board of Fire Underwriters for all stories 
above the basement. Fire extinguishers shall 
be provided in the proportion of one to every 
iour class rooms, or equivalent or fraction 
thereof. 

Hose and extinguishers must be examined 
at least once every six months, and be put in 
first class working condition ready for use. 

PLUMBING. 

Remove waste plug from lavatory bowls, or 
use sinks instead of lavatories. 

Use sanitary school house drinking fount- 
ains with jet giving a continuous flow of 
water where holly service is available. 

Where pumps are used invert the outlet. 

No tin cup or tumblers shall be allowed 
in or about the building. 

Provide one water closet for each fifteen 
girls, and one for each twenty-five boys or 
fraction thereof. Provide one ventilated in- 
dividual urinal for each fifteen boys, or frac- 
tion thereof. 

No dry closet system will be permitted. 

Plumbing shall be installed as per code pre- 
pared by this department. 



27 
GAS FITTINGS. 

No rubber hose connections shall be made 
with any stove or heater ; the same must be 
made with metallic piping". 

All piping shall be capped, tested and 
proved tight before plastering is done. 

ELECTRIC WORK. 

Electric equipment shall be installed accord- 
ing to the "National Electrical Code." 

FIRE ALARM. 

All buildings with basement, and all build- 
ings over one story high, to be provided with 
an 8" (eight inch) in diameter fire gong with 
connections enabling the ringing of same from 
any story or basement. 

In semi-detached buildings provide gong for 
€ach section. All gongs to be connected up 
so as to ring simultaneously from any story 
or basement of either section. 

CONSTRUCTION. 

No nine inch wall can be used over ten 
feet high except for flues. 

Cover all floor joists with rough sub-floor 
as soon as the joists are laid. 



28 



In calculating construction the superim- 
posed load on class room floors must be as- 
sumed at 60 (sixty) pounds per square foot 
uniformly distributed, and for halls, auditor- 
iums, stairs and corridors it must be assumed 
at 80 (eighty) pounds per square foot uni- 
formly distributed. 

HARDWARE. 

All entrance, exit and emergency doors shall 
be equipped with hardware of such nature 
as to be unlockable from within. 

No top and bottom door bolts will be per- 
mitted. 

Single doors to fire escapes, inclosed stair 
towers and emergency exits from basement 
shall be .fitted with one knob latch (without 
key), or equivalent. 

School room doors shall have knob latch 
(without key), or equivalent. 

Double doors shall have one double ex- 
pansion bolt. 

The only doors in the building that may 
have key locks will be one main entrance 
door, library door, closets and boiler room: 
doors. 



INDKX. 



Auditoriums 8, 9 

Classification according to construction.. 7,8 

Classification according to height 8 

Construction 25, 26 

Dimensions of school and class rooms. . 9 

Electric work 25 

Exit doors 19 

Exits 10-12 

Fire Alarm 25 

Fire escapes 14-17 

Fire extinguishers 23, 24 

Gas fittings 25 

Hardware 26 

Heating 21, 22 

Heater room 10 

Inclosed fire proof stairways 17, 18 

Notice to Architects, Owners and Build- 
ing Committees 3 

Optics 23 

Passageways 20, 21 

Plumbing 24 

Preface '. 5 

School buildings 6 

Seats, desks and aisles 19, 20 

Stairways 12-14 

Vaults 23 

Ventilation 22, 23 



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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



029 452 326 1 # 



